Interrogation Room - alexa

[Canucklehead]

THANK YOU.

Your post has made veganism a realistic lifestyle choice for me. From this moment forward, I will only wear vegan socks and use vegan nail clippers.

[thellama73]

I don't tell other people how to eat if they don't tell me how to eat (you'd be amazed at the harsh, unsolicited criticism my diet of Flamin' Hot Cheetos and Peanut Butter M&M's receives) so more power to ya, Canuck!

[Canucklehead]

I don't tell other people how to eat if they don't tell me how to eat (you'd be amazed at the harsh, unsolicited criticism my diet of Flamin' Hot Cheetos and Peanut Butter M&M's receives) so more power to ya, Canuck!

I'm pretty sure this diet covers all the food groups that are most important to me (spicy, crunchy, peanut butter, and salt), so I think you're doing swell. The only thing I'd suggest you add are pickles, to fulfill your sour/vinegar requirements.

[S~V~S]

William Blake: insanely brilliant or insanely insane?

[zeek]

Who is your favourite 17th century English lyric poet?

[Canucklehead]

William Blake: insanely brilliant or insanely insane?

I think both are true, and not mutually exclusive.

I love Blake, though I'm by no means an expert. He was a mystic and a kooky Miltonist and kind of a Spinozan and pretty obsessed with the English Renaissance (I think.....but I know next to nothing about the Romantics), so he ranks highly in my books. His illustrations for Paradise Lost are among my favourite drawings on the planet.

[Canucklehead]

Who is your favourite 17th century English lyric poet?

John Donne or, as he is known among hip Donne scholars, the Donnester, Jacky D, J-Dizzle, Dr. J, DJ Johnny D, the Dean of St. Awesome, Doctor Donne-credible.



(Ok. I'm the only one who calls him those things. But just wait! When I'm a famous professor, I'm going to make this a Thing. For realz. )



Runners-up awards go to Messers G. Herbert, R. Crashaw, and (if we're willing to be generous with our definition of 17th century) R. Southwell SJ.
Miton was not considered in this hierarchy because I arbitrarily decided to grant him his own category in order to make choosing easier.

[Marmot]

I don't really miss many specific things, since it's been so long without them (10 years!) that any sort of cravings and desires are long since gone. I DO, however, still miss the ease of being able to order and eat anything/anywhere.

And here lies the benefit of being a vegetarian by habit, rather than by definition. But don't get my wrong, veganism and carnivorism are both wonderful things.

Disney World and Universal were challenges (no butterbeer for me ). I can (and did) plan ahead and pack my own food, but this weekend I definitely missed the ability to just not give a shit and eat a pile of shitty park food.

What was your favorite part of Disney World/Harry Potter World? My family is there right now as well.

Protein isn't really too much of a problem for me. Nuts, nut butters, quinoa, beans, and legumes are all great protein sources, and I have at least one of these things with everything I eat. More probematic for me is vitamin B12, which does not occur naturally in plant sources. During periods of heavier-than-usual physical activity or stress, I'll often supplement with a vegan protein/nutritional powder....but yeah. I'm really bad about B12.

What sort of physical activity do you partake in?

(Guinness, for example, is not vegan)

What? That will make me think twice about drinking one of those.

[Canucklehead]

What was your favorite part of Disney World/Harry Potter World? My family is there right now as well.


What sort of physical activity do you partake in?

(Guinness, for example, is not vegan)

What? That will make me think twice about drinking one of those.

1) Disney: The "Good Morning/Welcome" show that happens every morning at the opening of the Magic Kingdom. All the characters and princesses ride in on the trolley and do a big song and dance number, and then open the gates and greet the hoards on the way in. I had no idea it happened, and it was such an adorable and lovely way to start the day. My nieces lost their minds, and I think if anyone had snick a glance at me they would've seen a big silly grin on my face, too. Say what you will about Disney, they know what the fuck they're doing, and they do it exceptionally well.
WWoHP: So hard to choose! The new "Escape from Gringotts" ride was amazing, as was the Hogwarts tour/ride (no way to describe it other than "magical"...unless, of course, you happen to be there with your programmer/techy boyfriend who proceeds to describe exactly how all the effects are achieved and thus bursts your bubble of wonder), and the "Dragon Challenge" roller coaster is a fun one. But I think overall, the best part of WWoHP is just wandering around completely immersed in the incredible level of detail and genuine affection for the IP that went into the creation of the place. It's absolutely incredible.

2) I run, I cycle, I dance, I climb, I hike/backpack, I do yoga (though I do all of them less often than I should or want to), and I'm getting into lifting a little bit.

3) Guiness uses a product made from fish in the production of their beer (as a filter or something?), so while there's no animal products actually in the beverage, it's not really a vegan product. I've heard rumours that the stuff produced in their Canadian plant doesn't use the fish thingy, but I don't really like stout anyway, so it's no biggie.....but I did spend an entire weekend in Dublin subsisting only on Guinness a few years ago before I was aware of this fact, so my purity is tarnished.

[S~V~S]

What do you feed your pets? I am vegetarian, on the way to vegan (and I am def gonna hit you up for some recipes)~ I know myself well enough to know that if I did it all at once, eliminated meats AND eggs & cheese all at once, I would not last. So I have been meat free since June, and plan to drop cheese soon, having researched & tried alternatives (like you, I don't care to build my diet around faux meat, but cheese, even faux, is a soul need for me). Eggs will be harder for me, but i will make it eventually.

One problem i have had is the shaming some people feel the need to do; I have a friend of a friend that tells me it does not matter what I do myself so long as I continue to feed my pets meat based diets. I am buying into the culture of cruelty if I feed my dog & cat meat based diets. She hammers me, tbh. I am avoiding our mutual friend becasue I do not want to see this individual.

The dog, maybe; they are omnivores (although I think they evolved to eat meat, and I think they need meat). But a cat is a pure carnivore. How can you put a cat on a vegan diet?

So from a practical POV, educate me. Should I tell her to fuck off with the shaming, or are there actual nutritious alternatives for my carnivorous companions? I am not sure that i would feed them that if there were, but I respect your opinion on this, knowing much more about veganism than I, and also being a pet lover.

[S~V~S]

Also, have you ever had, or would you consider, a reptile or amphibian as a pet?

[Canucklehead]

All of our animals eat regular animal food (though we do splurge and get the the fancy schmancy grain-free super duper healthy stuff, because I am easily swayed by branding and advertising ), so they are all meat eaters. Kenobi, in particular, has a minor addiction to this fancy beef jerky treat and to Himalayan yak chews (Damn you Bark Box and your insistence on continually introducing my dog to super expensive treats!) I, too, have had some experiences with people being piously vegan and shaming me for "allowing" my animals to take part in the meat industry, and while it really bothered me at first, I'm now very much at the point where I say to such people "Fuck you. Part of the reason why I'm vegan in the first place is that I care about the well-being and humane treatment of animals. Banning my dog and especially my cats from nutrient sources that are a vital part of their natural diet is not congruent with those concerns. I don't feel confident that I can ensure their health, well-being, and quality of life on a plant only diet, so they eat what keeps them healthiest and happiest. I chose to be vegan, they did not, so get your nosy snout out of our dinners." I'm the first to admit that there are obviously some logical inconsistencies and hypocrisies in this practice, but the bottom line is that I love my animals and want them to live the healthiest, happiest lives I'm capable of giving them. That involves feeding them meat and other animal products. I have heard of people "successfully" feeding pets vegan diets, but I don't know what the metric for success in such a situation is. Not starving? That's not really good enough for my pampered fur babies, and I don't know enough about canine or feline nutrition to feel confident that I could do it right. Even the study of human nutrition is basically only as scientifically sound and as epistemologically stable as alchemy, so I don't even want to begin to mess with my pets' diets.
For me, it comes down to the same philosophy which allows me to live with and love an omnivoire: I chose this, they did not.

Vegan zealots can be a particularly bitchy and self-righteous lot. There are even groups of super hard core vegans who believe that the ownership of animals in any capacity (whether as pets, livestock, workers, whatever) is just as bad as factory farming and wholesale slaughter. I, obviously, believe this is bullshit....but they're out there, and they're kooky, and they love nothing more than to tell other people that they're doing veganism "wrong". There are no belief structures, religious or otherwise, that are without their zealots and their witch-hunters. I work very hard to smile and walk away....but sometimes a good "fuck right off" is in order, methinks.


I have never had a reptile or amphibian, except for about 4 hours when I was a kid and I found someone's pet turtle wandering in the ditch on my street and I took him home and filled my Cabbage Patch Kids stroller with water and a few rocks and fed the turtle pieces of sliced ham until his owner came looking for him. My ideal pets are more snuggly/playful/romp-around-able than pets that need specialized environments to live in, so I would probably be a terrible reptile/amphibian owner because I would constantly be taking the poor thing out of its aquarium and trying to make it fetch or cuddle or some such thing.

[Marmot]

All of our animals eat regular animal food (though we do splurge and get the the fancy schmancy grain-free super duper healthy stuff, because I am easily swayed by branding and advertising ), so they are all meat eaters. Kenobi, in particular, has a minor addiction to this fancy beef jerky treat and to Himalayan yak chews (Damn you Bark Box and your insistence on continually introducing my dog to super expensive treats!) I, too, have had some experiences with people being piously vegan and shaming me for "allowing" my animals to take part in the meat industry, and while it really bothered me at first, I'm now very much at the point where I say to such people "Fuck you. Part of the reason why I'm vegan in the first place is that I care about the well-being and humane treatment of animals. Banning my dog and especially my cats from nutrient sources that are a vital part of their natural diet is not congruent with those concerns. I don't feel confident that I can ensure their health, well-being, and quality of life on a plant only diet, so they eat what keeps them healthiest and happiest. I chose to be vegan, they did not, so get your nosy snout out of our dinners." I'm the first to admit that there are obviously some logical inconsistencies and hypocrisies in this practice, but the bottom line is that I love my animals and want them to live the healthiest, happiest lives I'm capable of giving them. That involves feeding them meat and other animal products. I have heard of people "successfully" feeding pets vegan diets, but I don't know what the metric for success in such a situation is. Not starving? That's not really good enough for my pampered fur babies, and I don't know enough about canine or feline nutrition to feel confident that I could do it right. Even the study of human nutrition is basically only as scientifically sound and as epistemologically stable as alchemy, so I don't even want to begin to mess with my pets' diets.
For me, it comes down to the same philosophy which allows me to live with and love an omnivoire: I chose this, they did not.

Vegan zealots can be a particularly bitchy and self-righteous lot. There are even groups of super hard core vegans who believe that the ownership of animals in any capacity (whether as pets, livestock, workers, whatever) is just as bad as factory farming and wholesale slaughter. I, obviously, believe this is bullshit....but they're out there, and they're kooky, and they love nothing more than to tell other people that they're doing veganism "wrong". There are no belief structures, religious or otherwise, that are without their zealots and their witch-hunters. I work very hard to smile and walk away....but sometimes a good "fuck right off" is in order, methinks.


I have never had a reptile or amphibian, except for about 4 hours when I was a kid and I found someone's pet turtle wandering in the ditch on my street and I took him home and filled my Cabbage Patch Kids stroller with water and a few rocks and fed the turtle pieces of sliced ham until his owner came looking for him. My ideal pets are more snuggly/playful/romp-around-able than pets that need specialized environments to live in, so I would probably be a terrible reptile/amphibian owner because I would constantly be taking the poor thing out of its aquarium and trying to make it fetch or cuddle or some such thing.

Well I applaud your efforts at not being an extremist nincompoop, Miss Canucklehead. My mother is a pescatarian, but she is a fantastic cook. Thankfully, she will still cook anything and everything for us kids growing up. I find it truly amazing that she can cook a better rack of ribs or chicken piccata than anyone I know, and she hasn't eaten meat in decades. And of course she would cook it for us. She didn't let her lifestyle impact the choices of her kids. Sure she made her vegetarian dishes for us on many an occasion to try, but I found that enjoyable as well.

[juliets]

Very interesting story about being vegan. I am sliding toward vegetarian but I don't think I could go full vegan.

Are you from Canada Canuck or are you an American Canucks fan?
What part of Canada?
And where are you in school?
How much time do you have left?

[S~V~S]

Canuck, thank you for the detailed and informative answer. It is what i thought, too, but I am glad to have had my own thoughts validated by someone more knowledgeable about all of this than I.

[Canucklehead]

Very interesting story about being vegan. I am sliding toward vegetarian but I don't think I could go full vegan.

Are you from Canada Canuck or are you an American Canucks fan?
What part of Canada?
And where are you in school?
How much time do you have left?

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, so I come by my unfortunate fandom honestly.

I'm at school in the lovely/very strange little town of Durham, North Carolina. A very different place compared to Toronto, from whence I came here.

I'm not sure how much time I have left on the planet (probably not much, at the rate that this program is rapidly anxiety-ing me to death!), but I should have no fewer than two and no more than 4 years left in my program.

[Epignosis]

You're at Duke?

Elohcin and I live 90 minutes from Durham.

[nijuukyugou]

Very interesting story about being vegan. I am sliding toward vegetarian but I don't think I could go full vegan.

Are you from Canada Canuck or are you an American Canucks fan?
What part of Canada?
And where are you in school?
How much time do you have left?

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, so I come by my unfortunate fandom honestly.

I'm at school in the lovely/very strange little town of Durham, North Carolina. A very different place compared to Toronto, from whence I came here.

I'm not sure how much time I have left on the planet (probably not much, at the rate that this program is rapidly anxiety-ing me to death!), but I should have no fewer than two and no more than 4 years left in my program.

Whaaaaaaaaat I went to UNC-CH!! And I'm moving back to Raleigh! This is excellent happenstance!

[nijuukyugou]

Also:

Who is your favorite Shakespeare heroine? Least favorite?

In your opinion, what is the most disgusting popular American food?

What is your favorite swear word and why?

Cats or dogs?

Coffee or tea?

Carolina Blue or Duke Blue? (there is a correct answer to this. Choose wisely )

[Canucklehead]

You're at Duke?

Elohcin and I live 90 minutes from Durham.

North Carolina represeeeent!
Are you guys from here originally, or are you transplants?

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, so I come by my unfortunate fandom honestly.

I'm at school in the lovely/very strange little town of Durham, North Carolina. A very different place compared to Toronto, from whence I came here.

I'm not sure how much time I have left on the planet (probably not much, at the rate that this program is rapidly anxiety-ing me to death!), but I should have no fewer than two and no more than 4 years left in my program.

Whaaaaaaaaat I went to UNC-CH!! And I'm moving back to Raleigh! This is excellent happenstance!

North Carolina represeeeeent again!

Also:

Who is your favorite Shakespeare heroine? Least favorite?

In your opinion, what is the most disgusting popular American food?

What is your favorite swear word and why?

Cats or dogs?

Coffee or tea?

Carolina Blue or Duke Blue? (there is a correct answer to this. Choose wisely )

Favsies: Rosalind; Least favsies: Cleopatra (I will probably be tarred and feathered by my professional society for uttering this. Tell no one! )

Macaroni salad.

Fuck, because it comes most readily and speedily to hand whenever I am in need of it, and is a malleable repository for varying levels of force, nuance, and duration.

Dogs (but please don't tell my cats I said that. They're already plotting to kill me, they don't need more motive )

Coffee. Black.

I am positive this is the incorrect answer, but I gotta go with the Blue that pays the bills, so it's Blue Devils for me.

...


*backs slowly out of the room...*




*runs away*

[Epignosis]

You're at Duke?

Elohcin and I live 90 minutes from Durham.

North Carolina represeeeent!
Are you guys from here originally, or are you transplants?

I am from Fayetteville, born and raised. Eloh is from Orlando. I met her online in 1999.

Would you be interested in meeting up at some point?

[S~V~S]

OMG. I was born in Fayetteville

On the base, tis true, but my Birth Cert still says "Cumberland County"

[Elohcin]

Everyone should come to Ephraim's 3rd birthday party in May and hang out for the weekend.

[nijuukyugou]

Everyone should come to Ephraim's 3rd birthday party in May and hang out for the weekend.

And I suppose I can forgive you for your transgression, Canuck, since bills are important.

...

...This time.

(But for real, small world, everyone! How exciting )

[bea]

So many NC peeps around these parts! I have an auntie that lives in Boone.

Cannuck - thank you so much for your long and detailed answers to mine and svs's questions. I appreciate the amount of thought that went into them.

What writer do you think is under appreciated by most general readers? By most students of literature? Why?

(I am not the hugest Cleopatra fan myself....*shhhh* tell no one!)

What modern writers do you enjoy? What was the last book you read for fun?
Favorite TV shows? Movies?
What kind of music do you like to rock out to when no one is around?
What would I be surprised to learn about you?
Pic please?

I know you said you have no desire to run a game, but what theme would you *like* to see become a game that you've not seen yet? (Sometimes the idea well runs a bit dry....)

[thellama73]

What writer do you think is under appreciated by most general readers? By most students of literature? Why?

Harry Stephen Keeler.

[Roxy]

Canuck - have you eaten a Hostess product in the last 12 months?
If yes what was it and why.
If you do ever Host a game do you remember that I have dibs? (Remember the convo in TP? lmao)
Beef stew or rabbit stew?
Is 3 a magic number or is there no magic left in the world?
Chocolate chip or Oreo?
Saltine or Ritz?
Pepsi or Coke? Or the only correct answer - A&W Rootbeer?
Stones or Led Zepp?
Happy Sunday!!

[S~V~S]

What writer do you think is under appreciated by most general readers? By most students of literature? Why?

Harry Stephen Keeler.

Don't go off topic, you'll piss bea off.

[bea]

What? I thought I was the princess if off topic!

[thellama73]

What writer do you think is under appreciated by most general readers? By most students of literature? Why?

Harry Stephen Keeler.

Don't go off topic, you'll piss bea off.

[S~V~S]

What? I thought I was the princess if off topic!

We were all having a jolly time talking about North Carolina, and you shut us down going all on topical & such on us

[Canucklehead]

Yikes! I got behind!

You're at Duke?

Elohcin and I live 90 minutes from Durham.

North Carolina represeeeent!
Are you guys from here originally, or are you transplants?

I am from Fayetteville, born and raised. Eloh is from Orlando. I met her online in 1999.

Would you be interested in meeting up at some point?

Fun! Sometime after I've passed/failed my prelims would be ideal, because I'm essentially resigned to a life of zombiehood until then....

So many NC peeps around these parts! I have an auntie that lives in Boone.

Cannuck - thank you so much for your long and detailed answers to mine and svs's questions. I appreciate the amount of thought that went into them.

What writer do you think is under appreciated by most general readers? By most students of literature? Why?

(I am not the hugest Cleopatra fan myself....*shhhh* tell no one!)

What modern writers do you enjoy? What was the last book you read for fun?
Favorite TV shows? Movies?
What kind of music do you like to rock out to when no one is around?
What would I be surprised to learn about you?
Pic please?

I know you said you have no desire to run a game, but what theme would you *like* to see become a game that you've not seen yet? (Sometimes the idea well runs a bit dry....)

- I don't think Thomas Traherne gets much of a fair shake, certainly not by general readers and he's only slightly more read among scholars (though that's starting to change). I think it's because he's an incredibly odd poet, like some sort of weird hybrid child of George Herbert, Margaret Cavendish, and a precocious five-year-old, and people don't know what to make of him. He's not easy to shove into a box, either by period (he reads at times like an early 17th C devotional poet, but temporally he's right smack dab in the middle of the Resoration, but he also often sounds like some sort of proto-Romanticist), genre (his poetry is simple and childlike and formally inventive and irregular, his prose is verse-like and ecstatic, and none of if really reads like anything else being written during the period), or confession (his theology resembles uber-Protestant Herbert's valorization of the simple and the unadorned, and he wrote more than his fair share of anti-Roman polemics, but he also writes ecstatic/visionary prose and poetry that at times is more akin to Julian of Norwich than George Herbert). He's really fun! And a total nutbar! I like him.

- I haven't done much leisure reading in the last few years, but I adore Hilary Mantel with the passion of 10 billion suns. "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies" are my very favourite novels, contemporary or otherwise. I also have literary crushes on Michael Ondaatje, David Markson, Anne-Marie MacDonald, and J.M. Coetzee. I also loooooooove Faulkner, but he's obviously not contemporary.

- Movies: Shakespeare in Love, Star Wars, The Thin Red Line, Snowpiercer (I actually have a really hard time remembering what movies I like, )
TV: The Wire, Sherlock, Wolf Hall, Top Chef, Dance Moms (don't judge!), Downton Abbey (don't judge!), MASH, Blackadder, Are You Being Served?, Vicar of Dibley, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones

- My private kitchen dance parties inevitably take place to classic MoTown, and they are a sight to behold (or so the bf tells me, the sneaky spying git)

- People would be surprised to learn that I do not like chocolate, and that I'm incredibly shy.

- This is me on top of a mountain:

This is me (bright green dress) doing the chicken dance at a wedding:

This is me being attacked by a sleepy boyfriend monster after a baseball game:


- Long, long ago I considered the idea of doing a Human Body mafia, where all the roles were body parts, and the mafia was diseases/viruses/whatever, and the Indy was a Big Yellow School Bus or something.....but I (obviously) never finished or hosted it. I still think it would be funny as fuck, though!

Canuck - have you eaten a Hostess product in the last 12 months?
If yes what was it and why.
If you do ever Host a game do you remember that I have dibs? (Remember the convo in TP? lmao)
Beef stew or rabbit stew?
Is 3 a magic number or is there no magic left in the world?
Chocolate chip or Oreo?
Saltine or Ritz?
Pepsi or Coke? Or the only correct answer - A&W Rootbeer?
Stones or Led Zepp?
Happy Sunday!!

- Nope! I don't think I've ever eaten a Hostess product actually....

-Lulz!

- Beet stew!

- 3 is not particularly magic for me, but 11 is. There is LOADS of magic in the world, it just doesn't look anything like it does in the movies.

- Oreo, but only the middle.

- Saltine, but not anymore (stupid GF-ness)

- I'm a recovering Diet Coke addict, so none of the above.

- Beatles

[bea]

ZOMG CANNUCK! YOU ARE ADORABLE!!!

also - svs - I contributed to the NC conversation too. I like off topic. And on topic. And all sorts of topics.

My complete lack of discipline is what makes me such a great role model for others.

[Marmot]

ZOMG CANNUCK! YOU ARE ADORABLE!!!

also - svs - I contributed to the NC conversation too. I like off topic. And on topic. And all sorts of topics.

My complete lack of discipline is what makes me such a great role model for others.

Disregard the space between the e and a.

[bea]

wait? wot did I do? I don't see it lol!

[Marmot]

Herm...

http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=HN.6080059 ... 1&pid=15.1

[bea]

ohhh - that's cute!!! I didn't see the pict the first time.

[Spacedaisy]

Ok kids, I'm a day behind here but the time has come to change out victims. So without further ado, I bring you....

RUSSTIFINKO!!!

[bea]

Yay!!! Rusty!!!

ok - basics first:

Preferred alignment: Civ? Mafia? Indy? Why?
Favorite game? Why?
Favorite role? Why?
What did you think of hosting? Do you prefer to do it or play? Why?
Favorite color?
Favorite book? TV shows? Movies? Music?
Favorite comfort food?
Favorite way to spoil yourself? Someone you love?
If I visited you, what would we do?
Do you cook? If so - what do you love to cook? What do you hate to cook?
Are you seeing anyone special?
Where do you call home?
What do you do to pay the bills? Is it what you want to be doing? If not, what do you want to be doing?
What is your favorite way to kill time when you are not playing mafia?
Hobbies? Special interests?
What would surprise me to learn about you?
Favorite vacation you've been on? Why? Place highest on your wishlist to visit? Why?
Do you have a mafia nemisis? If so, who?
Who gives great BTSC?
Who would you love to have BTSC with but haven't yet?
Am I annoying yet?
How bout now?























How bout now?

[Russtifinko]

Wow, thanks for all the questions, bea! I'll answer in my favorite color, green.

Yay!!! Rusty!!!

ok - basics first:

Preferred alignment: Civ? Mafia? Indy? Why? Hmmm, probably civ, I think. I get most inspired by the figuring things out side of mafia, as opposed to the deceiving people part. Though I will say that it depends more on role than alignment for me.
Favorite game? Why? Oh gosh, I guess my favorite game would be Super Meat Boy. I had an incredible, engaged, fun baddie team for that, and even though we had the thread pretty much under control, we only won in a nail biter.
Favorite role? Why? Can I pick two? I loved Jack in Bioshock (baddie) and Ganon in Zelda (civ). Both were super duper interesting roles in themselves, and they also gave me a lot of motivation and power to figure some things (like game mechanics or roles) out on my own.
What did you think of hosting? Do you prefer to do it or play? Why? Hosting was awesome! I felt a little bad for my players, because I hosted at what turned out to be a very busy time for me. So I had spent lots of time preparing for the game, but I didn't really feel I did my vision justice. Especially since the players were so engaged - there were people writing unsolicited poems on Day 1!

That said, I love the creativity of hosting and the chance to give something back to the community, as cheesy as that sounds. However, hosting is very inflexible in terms of time commitment, whereas when I play I can hop on whenever I have a few minutes and write a quick post. So Iike both a lot, but I prefer playing right now. It's definitely much easier for me to manage.
Favorite color? Green!
Favorite book? TV shows? Movies? Music? I love books! I will read anything with words in it. The Hobbit is one of my favorites, and I generally like all kinds of fantasy and adventure. My favorite current series is the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, about a wizard detective in Chicago. I also just read a book called Daniel O'Thunder about an Irish boxer that challenges the Devil in the ring, I'd recommend that. For TV, I've been really into Breaking Bad and House of Cards lately, and I like Parks and Rec, Community, and liked the Office a lot. I love the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars movies, comedies like Dumb & Dumber and Dodgeball, and I'm always up for an extremely cheesy horror flick (i recommend The Gingerdead Man, starring Gary Busey). I wouldn't say I'm a huge film person though. I like any kind of music except modern country or really screamy metal, but I have a soft spot for reggae and ska.
Favorite comfort food? Tough choice! Homemade meatloaf or stew or my dad's chili if I can get those things, and ice cream if I can't.
Favorite way to spoil yourself? Someone you love? Sleeping in! And for someone I love, fixing/taking them out to a nice meal.
If I visited you, what would we do? Depends what you like to do! We could go skiing or go to a trampoline park in Cleveland, or check out some nice restaurants/happy hours. Or we could have friends over for a game night/cards.
Do you cook? If so - what do you love to cook? What do you hate to cook? I like to cook a lot! But I'm lazy, so I usually don't do it unless my girlfriend is in town (we like to cook together). I have my dad's chili recipe, so I like doing that, or a nice Thanksgiving-style turkey dinner.
Are you seeing anyone special? Yup! My girlfriend Hanna and I have been together for 5 years, but a fair bit of it has been long-distance (she's from Sweden).
Where do you call home? Good question! Cincinnati is where I grew up, and I live in Cleveland right now (since July). A big part of my heart is in Europe, though. For me, 'home' is kind of a fluid concept and has to do almost as much with people as with familiar surroundings. For example, my best friend from college visited me in Cleveland two weeks ago, and that felt like home to me.
What do you do to pay the bills? Is it what you want to be doing? If not, what do you want to be doing? I am a Quantitative Risk Analyst at a bank. Basically I do math so my bank doesn't bring the economy down a la the financial crisis of '08. It's a really nice place to work, so it's what I want to be doing for now, but I'm leaving myself open to what the world throws at me, career-wise.
What is your favorite way to kill time when you are not playing mafia? I like to play basketball and chess, ski, play video games, eat, and hang out with friends.
Hobbies? Special interests? I guess I already mentioned a few. I love anything involving strategy or games. I really want to start an urban garden! I'm in the process of getting houseplants now as a start, but I think I need some practice before I feel confident getting greenery to live through the harsh Cleveland winter. I also am a sucker for puns.
What would surprise me to learn about you? Uhhhhh, I dunno! Hmmm. I don't have a car? I don't know if that's surprising, but it's pretty unusual for an American.
Favorite vacation you've been on? Why? Place highest on your wishlist to visit? Why? Cancun was a pretty amazing vacation. For me, the beach is ultimate relaxation, and the water and sand there are like nowhere else I've been. And I love Mexican food!
There are a lot of places I still want to go! South Africa might be my top right now, but I really really want to see Thailand, Scotland, more of Eastern Europe...it's a long list haha.
Do you have a mafia nemisis? If so, who? DH! We had an epic exchange in Grimm mafia where I had checked his role and knew he was bad, and tried to get him lynched for 4 days in a row. He ended up NKing me out of frustration, and then the thread figured out what was going on and deaded him.
Who gives great BTSC? I had some epic BTSC with Devin the Omniscient in Bioshock. I also think DH and LC are really good, and my entire Super Meat Boy team!
Who would you love to have BTSC with but haven't yet? Hmm! I don't think I ever have with Roxy, that'd be cool. Or llama. They both have very strong opinions and a different play style than me, it'd be fun to see what goes on in their heads outside the thread.
Am I annoying yet? Nope!
How bout now? Never!























How bout now?

Not in a million years!

[Spacedaisy]

What prompted your recent move?
Do you like your new place better?
How is Hanna? (I think she is awesome, btw!)
Cleveland or Cincinnati?
Kentucky or Ohio?
The Reds or the Indians?

[Russtifinko]

What prompted your recent move? TONS of issues in my old apartment, including bedbugs, roaches, an improperly fixed drain that left food bits on my carpet, which then wasn't cleaned for 6 weeks.....and the general feeling that my landlord didn't care or was even actively trying to screw me.
Do you like your new place better? YES! I've only stayed here 1 night, but it is beautiful and seems awesome so far.
How is Hanna? (I think she is awesome, btw!) She's great! She is very excited but very nervous about moving to Boston in March, and she has one class left before she starts researching and working!
Cleveland or Cincinnati? Hmmm, still Cincinnati for now, although there is a lot to like about Cleveland.
Kentucky or Ohio? Ohio! I am learning to appreciate Kentucky more, but not THAT much.
The Reds or the Indians? Reds! By a long shot. The Indians are my 2nd favorite AL team though. Which makes it sound like I love baseball a lot more than I do haha.

Oh! And Hanna thinks you're awesome too.

[S~V~S]

So Russ, what did you like, and not like, about living in Europe as opposed to the US?

What other country would you be interested in living in?

Any pets? Would you like to have a different pet?

What was your first car?

Are you going to host again?

[bea]

Rusty!!!! I either didn't know or forgot you were in Cleveburg now! It's one of my most favorite cites in all of Ohio!!

Did you know there is a chess park out in west gate? all sorts of chess tables and a full size people chess board with super large pieces!
Also - the best pizza I've ever had in Cleveburg is Frankie's pizza out in North Olmsted area.
OMG! The zoo is also one of my fav spots - especially the rainforest building it has R.O.U.S.s and a fishing cat!!
From there you can go grab a pint at Drew Carey's old bar - but it only looks like the bar from the show on the outside. The inside looks different.
Check out the lawn decorations in Parma. They are always good for a giggle.
There is a haunted mansion in Cleveland proper but it's been ages since I've been there so I can't quite remember how to get there.
The art museum is another favorite spot - it houses the giant Jackson Pollok head and also Lot's Wife - the most awesome mural ever!
The Beachland Ballroom and the Grog Shop are the best places to see good music live at affordable prices. (Best show I ever saw at the Grog Shop was only like 12 bucks a ticket
Tremont and Lakewood have all sorts of cute hipsterish eateries and drinkeries. Lakewood also used to have a pretty kick but Goth Club too but IDK if it's still there.
Little Italy is super awesome during the Feast of the Assention festival. Also Pesti's bakery has super rad cannolies.
The cemetary at the top of the hill in Little Italy is ancent and has all sorts of cool grave stones.
Also - if you find an in the know local - see if they can take you to Alter of Lost Love - you have to do a *small* amount of tresspassing to get there - but it's a super awesome graffitied site deticated to love lost and is located under a brige.
Also - again - in North Olmsted area, there is a little white church that doesn't look like much but is a historic memorial because it's one of the original stops on the Underground Railroad.

Um....there should be questions - have you got to do any of that stuff?

[bea]

oh - I almost forgot - the natural history museum is super fun too - there be dinasuausues there!!

[bea]

Did you know that Murder by Death and O'Death are going to be at the Grog Shop on Feb 25th?
And that tickets are only 20 bucks a person (10 dollars a band! What a deal!)?
I've never heard Murder by Death - but I saw O'Death live at the Beachland 7ish years ago and they rocked it. Great blend of like punk rock/bluegrass. Super awesome stuff on percussion. You should check it out.

[nijuukyugou]

What was your favorite high school subject? Least favorite?

What was your favorite book you were forced to read as a kid/teenager?

Favorite teacher and why?

Best beer ever? Worst?

Worst job you've ever had?

Favorite swear word?

Favorite dessert?

[Russtifinko]

So Russ, what did you like, and not like, about living in Europe as opposed to the US? Well it depends on the spot in Europe. For example, Sweden has:
- Really terrific public transportation. (Although Cleveland just won Best Public Transportation in North America).
- Great seafood.
- People who are tough to get to know, but make excellent friends once you do get to know them.
- No high fructose corn syrup, period.
- A fun and interesting political system where your vote might matter.
Austria has:
- The best beer, and many hearty dishes, of which I approve.
- Mountains! And generally gorgeous landscapes.
- A very temperate climate but with world-class skiing.
- Down-to-earthiness.
The USA has:
- All of my family and most of my friends.
- Ice cream.
- Basketball.
- Better beer than Sweden (but not as good beer as Austria).
- Native English speakers, which is handy for me. (Non-native English speakers are awesome because they make me learn new languages and it can be hilarious when they do speak English, but speaking another language for weeks on end can just be tiring sometimes.)
- The best TV.
- The worst TV.


What other country would you be interested in living in? Hmm! tough choice. Living somewhere can be kind of a big commitment. I don't think for living longish term that I'd seriously consider too many places besides the US, Sweden, the UK, and maybe Germany or Austria.

Any pets? Would you like to have a different pet? No pets right now! I'm thinking I do want something kind of low-maintainence like a fish or turtle, maybe, but I'd feel too bad for a dog or cat being cooped up in my apartment alone. I did have a hound dog named Percy growing up, and he was great.

What was your first car? An '89 Corolla! Her name was Bessie. She was older than me, and she had rust spots so big I could easily fit my arm in them to hide spare keys, and she got me where I wanted to go.

Are you going to host again?

Yes! I have a Super Smash Brothers game in the works with MP right now that I'm really looking forward to, and I want to continue where I left off with the Hobbit and do a Fellowship of the Rings mafia.

[Russtifinko]

Rusty!!!! I either didn't know or forgot you were in Cleveburg now! It's one of my most favorite cites in all of Ohio!!

Did you know there is a chess park out in west gate? all sorts of chess tables and a full size people chess board with super large pieces!
Also - the best pizza I've ever had in Cleveburg is Frankie's pizza out in North Olmsted area.
OMG! The zoo is also one of my fav spots - especially the rainforest building it has R.O.U.S.s and a fishing cat!!
From there you can go grab a pint at Drew Carey's old bar - but it only looks like the bar from the show on the outside. The inside looks different.
Check out the lawn decorations in Parma. They are always good for a giggle.
There is a haunted mansion in Cleveland proper but it's been ages since I've been there so I can't quite remember how to get there.
The art museum is another favorite spot - it houses the giant Jackson Pollok head and also Lot's Wife - the most awesome mural ever!
The Beachland Ballroom and the Grog Shop are the best places to see good music live at affordable prices. (Best show I ever saw at the Grog Shop was only like 12 bucks a ticket
Tremont and Lakewood have all sorts of cute hipsterish eateries and drinkeries. Lakewood also used to have a pretty kick but Goth Club too but IDK if it's still there.
Little Italy is super awesome during the Feast of the Assention festival. Also Pesti's bakery has super rad cannolies.
The cemetary at the top of the hill in Little Italy is ancent and has all sorts of cool grave stones.
Also - if you find an in the know local - see if they can take you to Alter of Lost Love - you have to do a *small* amount of tresspassing to get there - but it's a super awesome graffitied site deticated to love lost and is located under a brige.
Also - again - in North Olmsted area, there is a little white church that doesn't look like much but is a historic memorial because it's one of the original stops on the Underground Railroad.

Um....there should be questions - have you got to do any of that stuff?

oh - I almost forgot - the natural history museum is super fun too - there be dinasuausues there!!

Did you know that Murder by Death and O'Death are going to be at the Grog Shop on Feb 25th?
And that tickets are only 20 bucks a person (10 dollars a band! What a deal!)?
I've never heard Murder by Death - but I saw O'Death live at the Beachland 7ish years ago and they rocked it. Great blend of like punk rock/bluegrass. Super awesome stuff on percussion. You should check it out.

Wow, you really know your Cleveburg!! I have been to a few of those places, and the rest are officially on my list as of now! I love basically all the things you mentioned haha. So far I mainly have stuck around downtown, being carless. However, I have been out to Little Italy (though not at the Feats of the Ascension). I have brunch in Tremont fairly regularly that's very very good. I went to a Winter Solstice concert in the planetarium at the natural history museum. I didn't even know Cleveland had a zoo, but I love zoos and will go when it's not -20 degrees out.

I have never heard of Murder by Death or O'Death. Are they super metal/screamy? I do like punk rock and bluegrass a lot, so O'Death sounds like a winner to me. I'm looking up the show now!

[bea]

Rusty - I grew up a 2 hour drive from there, my bff male version lives in North Olmstead and I spent a year living there as well - I really loved the city - was sad when I had to move back home.

the zoo is in the Old Brooklyn area. The rainforest building is great all year round as it is so temperature controlled but yea - the other parts of the zoo are sorta dull in the winter. In the summer they have a tent where you can buy a cup of nector and feed these cool little birdies! Super fun!!